Wise Words from Ho Beau, Brandon.
There are multiple valuable life's lessons in Ho Beau's response and Brandon's original report. Mongers and providers are equally engaged in transactions deemed unsavory by society and illegal by statute. If anything goes down involving brandishing, threatening, assault, destruction or death, it matters little who's more right or less wrong: you're screwed. Kiss former life goodbye.
In the past few years, I've talked two mongers out of seeking revenge after being robbed. Laid out my case and asked if they'd rather have the talk with me or a court appointed shrink and / or probations officer.
I've chosen to carry for past six years. Part of my training has been to decide the very specific set of circumstances under which I would use deadly force. Knowing full well that, if I do, I might still lose my assets and serve time. Even if I'm in the right.
Because of shady, habit-riddled providers and thug handlers, our hobby carries risk. Even with good screening, it's not possible to avoid every potential danger. I made a decision not to carry when I'm visiting a provider (exception: we've gotten to know one another through prior meetings and have discussed and agree on 2 A freedoms and responsibility). For everyone else I meet, I bring only the cash I'm willing to part with and little more (e. G. , no bank cards, no drivers license, etc.). Yeah, it can be a pain in the ass but it makes me feel safer and therefore enjoy myself more. And I don't visit certain neighborhoods or monger in the wee hours.
While Ho Beau's, Brandon's or my personal codes of conduct might not fully align with yours, the important thing is that you develop your own based on sound practice and your personal risk tolerance. And you stick to it. A lot easier to think through situations in advance and avoid them before SHTF! Stay safe, protect yourself and your privacy at all times. You'll have a lot better time in the end.
[QUOTE=HoBeau;5153914]I see the ladies for fun. I have never gone out saying "time to play kill or be killed". I carry. I have been in the military and I've had tactical training. I have friends in law enforcement and the military. I have seen first hand how much difference there is between every real encounter and all of the "training scenarios". Clearly, there is no amount of money that is worth my life. And I mean this in two ways: 1. If I get killed that's bad. I know a lot of vets who say surviving "ain't that great either". 2. If I kill someone else, I will spend years and enormous amounts of time and money defending myself in court. Even then, I may not prevail. This is true, look at the research. In any event, my life as I know it will probably be over. Job, family, business, etc. What we are doing, like it or not, is illegal and that taints the treatment we get in the legal system. Not fair, but true.
I have also chosen to eschew revenge. I have been "fucked" as often by the ladies as all of you have who have been active in the hobby as long as I have. I have on numerous occasions fought with myself not to return to the sorry w-hore and take revenge. Slash a tire or two, break a window or two, or just fuck up her life in some meaningful way. I have (so far) always waited, cooled down, and taken another path in life. I have done this for much for the same reasons as above. I go out to have fun, not to destroy myself or my life. Getting caught doing something that's illegal because I was wronged by someone else while I was doing something else that was illegal won't play well in court.
I would use deadly force without hesitation (the only way to use it) but only where there is no other way out. I guess I'm lucky that there always has been another path for me and I hope there always will be.[/QUOTE]